The Postmodern Moment: A Handbook of Contemporary Innovation in the Arts

(Hardback)

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This collection of original essays provides an intellectual, social, and historical background for the postmodern movement in the literary, visual, and performing arts in America today. Both creative expression and critical thought are examined in literature, painting and sculpture, dance, music, photography, architecture, theatre, and film. The author of each essay describes and analyzes the ways in which individuals become conscious of, represent, and ultimately assimilate changes in their respective art forms. Included in each essay is a synthesis of critical issues, as well as a discussion of representative figures and their works. Also, a broad bibliographic component supplements each essay, including discussions of resource materials, checklists, and a comprehensive annotated bibliography. In his introduction, editor Stanley Trachtenberg provides an overview of postmodernism. In addition, the volume contains an appendix of related European and Latin American expressions and a chronology of historical and cultural events and individual achievements.

Reviews

A timely and informative book, better described in its subtitle...The main part of the book consists of eight excellent essays by different authors who treat their subjects in a chronological, run-through fashion with some attention to historical background and brief analysis of examples. The subjects are: architecture, art, dance, film, literature, music, photography, and theater. The essays come with notes, bibliographical essays, and extensive bibliographies. In addition, there are an introduction by the editor, two appendixes (one on German and one on Latin American literature), a 30-page 1960-84 "chronology" with year-by-year naming of major works in the various arts, a name-and-title index, and a subject index. For the reader with some general cultural knowledge or for one who is specialized, this is a rich source of information about what is going on in the arts. This reviewer knows of no other one text that does the same or a similar thing.-CHOICE
"A timely and informative book, better described in its subtitle...The main part of the book consists of eight excellent essays by different authors who treat their subjects in a chronological, run-through fashion with some attention to historical background and brief analysis of examples. The subjects are: architecture, art, dance, film, literature, music, photography, and theater. The essays come with notes, bibliographical essays, and extensive bibliographies. In addition, there are an introduction by the editor, two appendixes (one on German and one on Latin American literature), a 30-page 1960-84 "chronology" with year-by-year naming of major works in the various arts, a name-and-title index, and a subject index. For the reader with some general cultural knowledge or for one who is specialized, this is a rich source of information about what is going on in the arts. This reviewer knows of no other one text that does the same or a similar thing."-CHOICE

Author Bio

achtenberg /f Stanley /r ed.